Automatic self-starter.



A. BORSELLA & o. SOGGOL.

AUTOMATIC SELF STARTER.

APPLIOATION FILED A PEJ, 1913. q 1,082,927; Patented Dec.30, 1913.

2 SHEET8-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS .soccoL.

AUTOMATIC SELF STARTER. APPLiOATION FILED APR. 3, 1913.

A. BORSELLA & G

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

2 sums-$111251 2.

kw y a v Q: 7 Q B mm ms m 1% WITNESSES V A770RNEY8 new and useful Automatic Self-Starter, of'

UNIT D STATES, PATENT OFFICE.- I

' ANTHoN'Y BoRsEtLA AND CELESTE mom a-aw YORK; iL'Y.

and CELESTE SocooL, citizens of the Kingdom 'of Italy, and residents of the city of New York, in the countyof New York and Stateof NewYork, have inventeda certain which the following is a-specification.

Our starter is of special value inconnec tion with gasolene engines, 'as,'for example, engines used in automobiles, motor-boats,

etc. It is,'however, not limited to such uses,- but maybe'applied in connection-with any purpose requiring the use of gas under pressure, as for example, to feed gasolene to the carbureter, etc.

The general object of our-invention is to provide a mechanism, of the characterindicated, which will be simple in construction, and easy to actuate, andwhichwill'be positive and reliable in operation. 7

With these objects in view, and'othersappeering as the specification proceeds and the natureofthe invention'more fully appears, the invention .comprehends, generallystatcd, mechanism for storingup apart 0 the .en-

ergy developed by' the engine when run ning; and mechanism for releasing such stored energy in a manner that will start the engine.

-In theaccompanying drawings, we have, as an example, shown one form of embodiment of the invention capable of carrying out the underlying principles thereof, and

side elevation of our mechanism, its posisin these drawings, in which lilre referencecharacters denote corresponding parts throughout the several VIGWSZFIgIHG 1 IS a tion relative to an automobile being indicated by a skeleton outline of the frame work of the latter; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, in rear elevation, of the automobile .dashboard, showing the controlling-valve and the storage-tank gage positioned on the dashboard; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view, in central longitudinal section, of the distributing valve and its casing, and its connection with the shaft which is driven, through gearing, by the engine-shaft; Fig.- 4 is a'- front end view of the distributingvalve, the connecting pipes beingshown in section; Fig. 5 is a detail view of the distributing-valve, removed from its casing;

.Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view, in central' vertical section, of the dashboard or storage-tank valve; Fig. 7 1s a sectlon on -sion-space of the cylinder. 51, V and having 32 being' of larger cross section than that'of raceway or runwayfor acheck-valve, in this Specification of Lettrs mane. l 't nt p 30, 1913 Application med A'pri13,1913. seriai'iva zssfloo.

the line 7.7,.Fig.. 6; Fig. 8 is a sectional detail view of the valve used on all of the cylmders, except the end one; Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the special the endcylinder. Referring, now, in'detail to the drawings The engine is of the well-known four-cycle type, in which a mixture ofgas and air is drawn into the cylinders, compressedand exploded or fired by means of an electric spark. The engine-cylinders are designated The end cylinder 51carries a valve-casing 11 '(see articularly Fig. 9), provided with a-threa ed we; end 36 screwedfinto the top ofthe cylinder. The valve-casing 11' is also provided with a-longitu'dinal bore or port .36 communicating with the-compresbranches 32 and 34 extending through arms 32, 34 carr ed by said valve-casing, the,

branch 32 and arm 32 being upwardly inclined relative to the'bore .35, and the branch the branch 3410c the bore- 35. The upper portion of the b'ore'3'5, which is'designat'ed' 35, is also of larger cross section than that of the latter. The branch 32 constitutes a instance a ball valve '31, which is normallyseated at the rear end of the'branch -34=, shu'tting ofl" communication or passage there-- through. A check-valve, in this instance a ,v ball-valve 37 is also disposed in the upper portion 35 of the port. 35, and has a seat atthe lower end of said portion 35, as; shown in Fig. 9. The branch 32 closed, at the upper end thereof, by a screw-cap 33;

theball-31.-

Registering with the upper end .of the port 35 is one end of a pipe 15,-leading' to a dash-boardor-storage-tank valve (hereinafter particularly'to be described). Registering with the outer end of the branch '34:

is a pipe 7, leading to a-distributin'-va1v (also hereinafter particularly to 'dei-j. f scribed). ZThej-pipes15and 7 areprovided,

"lot

at their ends, with/annular fianges lfif and 7 respectively," which are clamped, -respe c-* tively,to"the up 1-- end of the casing 36 and the outer end 0 the arm'EA by union nuts 34 34 'wherebv the pipes. are held firmly. in position, against movement. The simple valve used on 39 112 means shown forv connecting thpipes to the valve-casing permits of easy assembly-,2 and aiiords a ready means of detachment, should i it become necessary, forpurpose of repairs. Carried by each of the three cylinders 50,

50, :30 is a valve-casing 36, which is similar to the valvecasing. shown in Fig. 9, ex-

cepting that the ball-valve 37 and-.the pipe 15 shown in connection with the valve-casing of Fig. 9 are omitted. The valve-casing 11 shown in Fig. 8 contains but a single ball valve 31, and but'a single pipe (as 6, 8

or 9, Fig. 1) communicates with said casing,

inders 50, 50, 50 and 51.

tr gas from the cylinder 51-, through the p1pe'1'5 when thegdashboard-valve -(abouthereinafter appearmgr F The distributing-valve comprises, in 361115- 'instan'ce, a disk 23 provided with an arcuat-e carrying outward-projecting The valve 37 opens and permits passage 'to be described) :z is -nroved in a manner ejccentrically-dispq edl slot or .port 23, and withat-(zonciitricalljt-disposed stem 24 annular'" in cross section, ,and projecting through a bearing 4 (inihis instance, trun- "cated-cone shaped) carried bya boxlike casing 4.-- The stem 24 terminates, at its outer end, in .ai'head24 of :a shape other than circular cross .sectionffitting a correspondinglyshaped recess in a couplingmember,25 secured, in any suitable manner, as bya screw 25*, to a gear 26 fast on a shaft =2. Sa gear 26 .meshes .with agear 26 on the higineshaft, whereby, the distributing-valve. 23.is rotated.

1 The casing 4 is closed by a cover 24 exteriorlythreaded nipples 4, 4, 4,4, having interior, longitudinally-extending ports 4 therethrough. The ends of the pipes 6, 7, 8 and 9 are secured to the nipples 4 by screwcaps 4 symmetrically, as. shown in Fig. 4, so that as the valve 23 revolves, its port 23 will register with each port 4 successively.

These ports 4, communicating with their respective pipes 6, 7, 9 and 8 (as shown in Fi-gsn-L and 4) are arranged inthe order \of firin'gfpfthe charges-1n the cylinders. In other words, in the operation of the valve 23, the gas is fed through the port '23 to the pipes 6, 7, 9 and 8, in the order named. The casing 4 also carries an additional, exteriorly-threaded, outward-projecting nipple 4, having a "longitudinal, interior port 4 extending therethrough and communicating with the interior of the casing 4. A

feed-pipe 5 communicates with this port 4 and is clampedfto the nipple 4 by a unionnut 4". I

The four ports 4 are arranged,

sists, in this instance, of a hollow, rotatable member or plug 18 (see particularly Figs. 6 and 7), annular in cross section, and seated in a'valve-casing 30 secured, in any suitable Said valve is provided with two ports 27 and 28 spaced apart from each other a suitable distance, in this instance one-fourth of the circumference of the valve. The valve casing 3O 'ca'rries three exteriorly-threaded, outward -projecting nipples 30, 30", 30, with which are respectively connected, by unionnuts 30, pipes 15, 16 and 5. The nipples 30, 30", 30 are provided with interior, longitudinallyeextending ports 44. In

the valve l8 is shown connecting .the pipes 15 and 16, so that the motor will pump compressed gas' and air from the end cylinder .pipe 6 communicates (as shown in Fig.

the ressure in the tank 21. The valve 18 a-acrank 19 is secured, andlwhereby said valve "may be operated and controlled. When the crank 19 is turnedso asto move the valve 18 one-fourth of a revolution, the ports 27 and28v will register, respectively, with the ports of the nipples 30*.and 30, so that the pipes 16 and-5 are connected, and, thereby, gas is-permittediorfiow. from the tank21 to the distributing-valve 23, and, thence, to one, of the cylinders. Oi c'ourse, the valve 18 may be rotated or revolved; so as to blank all three of the ports 4.4; such result being effected by rotating the valve more thana half revolution from the position shown in Fig. 7. f

The casing 30 of the, dashboard valve 18 ,is connected by the wire 38 (see Fig.1) to one terminal of the i nition-coil 37. A button 20iscarried by the dashboard 29, in the path of movement of the crank 19, and a wire 39 connects the terminal 20 with the jsparking-plug 43 on top of the cylinder 51; so that, when the crank 19 is turned to the starting position, contact between the casing 30 and the button 20 is established by said crank. Wires 40, 41 and 42 connect the spark-plugs 43 on top of the cylinders 50, 50, 50 to the coil 37 in the usual manner. It will be apparent, therefore, that the dashboard-valve, in addition to turning the compressed gas into the engine, also automatically establishes, at the same time, the ignition to-the cylinder 51, froni which it was storage-tank 21 was in progress. \Vhen the tank 21 is connected to the end cylinder 51 by movement of the dashboard-valve 18, for the purpose of compressing gas in the storage-tank, the dashboard valve 18 is in such The dashboardor storage-tank valve conmanner, to the automobile-dashboard 2- the. position of the parts shown in Fig. 7,-

51- into the storage-tank 21, with which the,

1). A. gage 22 connected and communicating with the pipe 16 is provided, to indicate is a so provided with -a stem 18,.-to which disconnected when the compressing in the from this particular cylinder, and, hence,

every time the piston compresses an explo-.

slve charge'of gas and air in the cylinder 51, it is expelled past the'checlnvalve 37 and through the pipe 15 into the dashboardvalve 18, thence throughthe pipe 16 into the storage-tank 21. The crank 19 of the dashboard-valve18 is now turned to running position, and, thereby, th'e ignition is automatically connected by such act der 51, which has :been used for charging the gas into the storage-tank '21. The engine is now operating in the ordinary manner, and. may beused thus as long as desired.

- After the engine has been stopped, and it is desired .to start again, the crank 19 of the dashboardor storage-tank valve 18 is turned to starting position; The compressed mixture now. passes through this valve 18,'by means of the'pipes 16 and 5,

to the distributin -valve 23, andthroughthe port 23 thereo l, and, thence, to the cyllnder which has its piston on the working or firing stroke. The gas mixture, thus admitted, starts to move the piston downward,"

rotating the engine-shaft and through the contact-device connects it to the battery or magneto and fires the charge. Thisgives a sudden impulse of sufiicient power to spin the fly-wheel and carry it over'the center and compress gas in the next cylinder in order, and thus the cycle of the engine is established The engine may now continue to run this way, or the crank 19 on the dash board valve 18 may be turned to the position where the end cylinder 51 is disconnected from the ignition apparatus, but is connected to the storage-tank 21, and acts as a compressor, to charge the gas into thestora e-tank. v

From the above description, taken in con nection with the drawings, the many ad: vantages of our invention will be ,obvious, especially to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains.

.VVe are aware that many modifications in detail may be resorted to; but all such as come within. the scope of the appended claims, fall strictly within the scope and purview of the invention, and constitute no departure from the spirit thereof.

It may be mentioned that the cylinder 51 and the storage-tank 21 are of great commercial value in many ways. For instance, said cylinder 51 or storage-tank 21 may be connected up with a tire-pump, for pumpwith the' cylin .ing-up tires. The compression of the gas in the reservoir 21 can be raised to such an extent as to start. any motor of any construction or power. By the use of the cylinder 51 and reservoir 21, and by raising the pressure in the latter suflicie'ntly, the use of a double-firing necessary. vT

Having thus fully described our invenmagneto will be rendered tion, what we claim *as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: 1

1. In starting mechanism for automobiles, etc., a storage-tank; a plurality of engine-cylinders for the compression and explosion therewithin of an explosive mixture; means affording communication 1 between 'said storage-tank and one of said cylinders,

including .a storage-tank valve for controlling communication through said means; a

distributing-valve; means affording communication between said distributing-valve and said cylinders means affording communication between said distributing-valve and said storage-tank valve; and ignitionmechanism for the cylinder which communicates with said storage-tank, said ignitionmechanism being controlled-by said storage tank valve.

' 2. In starting mechanism for automobiles, etc.', a storage-tank; a plurality of engine-cylinders for the compression and explosion therewithin of an explosive mixture means affording communication between said storage-tank and oneof said cylinders, including a storage-tank valve controlling commun cation through said means; a dis-' tributing-valve; means affording communication between said distributing-valve and said cylinders; means. affording communication between said distributing-valve and said storage-tank valve; and ignition-mechanism for the cylinder which communicates with said storage-tank, said ignition-mechanism being controlled by said storage-tank valve so as to be inoperative or disconnected when said storage-tank valve is moved to 'throw said cylinder into communication with said.

storage-tank.

Signed at the city of New York, in the county of New Yonk and State of New York, this 15th day of March, A. D. 1913.

ANTHONY BORSELLA. CELESTE SOCCOL. Witnesses:

DAVID Terr, ANNA LAVEZZO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,'by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' washingtol b. 0. 

